coloney



Bl'zl AVAlLABLE COPY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRoN coLoNEY, on str. LUxs,1uo., AssIGNoa To JAMES HENRY' 0F SAME PLAGE.

MOLEAN,

MAGAZINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Lettera Patent No. 231,652, dated August. 31, 1880.

Appllostion died November 23, 1818.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, MYnON COLONEY, of the city and county of St.. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improycments in .Magazine Fire-Arms and Cartridges therefor, (Case D,) of which the following is a speciiication.

The lirst part ot' my invention is applicable to breech-loading as well as to magazine tire.- arms; and it consists in providing such n-rms with a rccoil'sprin g and follower, a iiringpin, and a trigger, so combined that t-ho piece will be cocked automatically by the explosion of the charge.

The invention furtherrclates to a trigger of peculiar construction adaptodto catch the pin automatically and instantaneously,whether released b v the linger or not.

In order that my invention iuay be fully nnderstood, I will proceed to describe it as cm bodied under various modifications, reference Abeing had to the accompanying drawings,'in

which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of. a magazine field-piece embodying the invention. Fig.2

' is a plan thereof. Fg.3 is a front View of the,

same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a musket or vshoulder-gun illustrating the invention.

. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a spade-bayonet on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the breech portion ot` the gun on a still lar er scale. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sect on of the same. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of the tiring apparatus, showing it cocked or in tiring position. Fig. 9 is a trans verse section on the line ma, Figs. 6 and 7, the breechslide heilig shown in central position for clearness of representation. Fig. I0 is a transverse section ou the line b b, Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 11 is a detached side view ot the improved automatic trigger. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the recoil follower and spring with cartridge attached. Fig. 13 is a perspectivo view of the front part ot the follower with the cartridge omitted, so as to show 'the holding-jaws.

On each side of the barrel 7 is a magazine,

` 27, provided with the customary follower 28 and spring 29, and adapt/cd to contain and feed the cartridges, which consist of acylndrical sheet-metal case, 30, formed with a circumferential groove, 8l, near the hase, and receiving a ball, 32, whichl projects radially beyond the case, so as to form a shoulder, 33, which, as' the chambers of the reciprocating 5 5 slide 8 are alternately presented to the respective magazines, are seated on internal should'ers 34 within the slide-chambers. The said chambers extend completely through the slide from front to back, and the described mode ot' 6o seating the cartridge by means of a shoulder formed on the bail admits of loading from the front and discharging the empty shell backward by the act of introducing a new cartridge.

The slide 8V is^-reciprocatedby means-ol a lever 35, on a shaft, 11, carrying pinions 12.' which gear with racks 13 on the slide, the said lever being provided with a spring-latch, 51,- engagingwith catches 52 52 at the extremities of the stroke, or, in small-arias, the lever 35 may be attached directly to the slide 8 by a, hinge, 36, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, aspri n g, 37, being employed to throw the lever into a notch at each extremity of its stroke, and thus lock the slide in either lirin'g position.

Directly in rear of the barrel 7, and in posit-ion to form the back of the tiring-chamber as either chamber ot' the breech-slide is brought in frontot it, is a follower, 19, pressed forward by a spring, 20 which bears against a hollow breech-block, 1 and serves to take'up the recoil. The follower 19 is connected by a stem, 38, with a head, 39, within the hollow breccia block 17, which limits the forward movement 8 5 of the follower l0. 0n tho face of the follower or recoil-block 19 are jaws 4l), adapted to enga-ge in the circtunfercntia-l groove 3l in the cartridge when in ring'position and hold it securely against the stroke of the iiriugpin.

The tiring-pin 2l. works within the stem 38, and is thrown forward by a spring, 22, bearin g on a collar, 42, which also limits the.forward motion o f thepin. The ringspring22 coacts with the spring 20 in taking up the recoil. A head, 4l, on the rear end of the tiring-pin permits cocking it by hand when necessary. 43 is the shoulder on the pin, which is held by the trigger-pin in cooking. In Fig. 7 I have shown a trigger, 44, of simple form, actuated xoo BEST AVMLABLE COPY' by a spring, 45, and operating on a single l trgger-pin, 46. l

My improved double trigger for automatic cocling is shown in Fig. 1]. In thislemploy a supplemental trigger-pin, 47, permitted to slide downward in a short horizontal arm or lug, 48, on the triggerhcad,.but confined by a nnt, 49, to adapt it to be drawn down by the return motion oi the trigger. A spring, 50, tends to press the pin 47 upward when the trigger is drawn.

lhe operation of this device is as follows: Supposing the pin to be cocked, as shown in Fig. 1l, the drawing oi' the trigger 44 releases the firing-pin 2l, which is thrown forward in customary man ner to effect the discharge. The explosion throws the iiringpin back into cocked position, as alrcady explained,and if the trigger be not released, so as to allow the pin 46 to catch the shoulder 43 of the ringpin, the supplemental pin 47 will be pressed upward, so as to en gage the said shoulder, and on the trigger being released the supplemental pin 47 will be drawn down and the pin'46 vallowed to rise, so as to catch the pin in readiness 'for firing when the trigger is again drawn.

The' recoil-spring 20 is preferably made of rubber, of the hour-glass shape shown in Figs. 12 and 13, which adapt it to serve as a packing to exclude gas fromthe recoil-chamber.

My invention enables the soldier to carry his ammunition on his shoulder instead of by a belt around his waist.v

IBy a simple appliance the magazines may be made to have a vertical movement or adjustment, so that when one is exhausted that below it may be raised into feeding position. By thus nsin g two magazines on each side, the gun may contain sixty-four rounds, and the whole will not be more weighty than a longrange riiie, or than is necessary for steadihess of fire. because the barrel may be made quite light by reason of the freedom from liability to bursting conferred by the recoil-spring and follower.

' The elastic recoil and the three resistingshells admitof the use of a much larger charge, thereby increasing the range.

By relieving the soldier of weight and incumbrance around his waist he is enabled to march with less fatigue, and is always ready to receive a charge.

The manipulation of the gun is exceedingly simple, and does not require, as seme otherl magazine-guns do, more skill and intelligence than can be depended on in the common sol 1er. l

Th spade-bayonet shown in Fig. 5 is a good appliance for throwing up intrenchments or rifle-pits.

Fig. 4 shows the mode of carrying the spadebayonet in sockets under the stock when not in use. An ordinary .bayonet may then be fixed in position for action.

Having thus described my invention, the -following is what I clim as new therein and ldesire to secure by'Letters Patent:

1. The combination of the followcr'li), the firing-pin 21, working within it, the springs 20 22, and a suitable trigger, the whole operating substantially as herein set forth, to effect the cocking of said firing-pin by the force of the explosion.

2. The second holding-pin, 47, combined with the trigger, substantially as herein described, and havin ga movement independently of the trigger, to adapt it to catch the'liringpin when the trigger is in retracted position andrelease it when the trigger is released.

MYRON COLONEY.

Witnesses:

Oeuvres KNIGHT, WALTER ALLEN. 

